Closure device especially for fuel and water tanks

ABSTRACT

A plug for engagement within the opening of fuel or water tanks particularly of the type utilized in boats and formed of a body adapted to be engaged in said tank opening, said body having a top opening groove or recess and a sector-shaped disc pivotally mounted within said groove or recess along an axis normal to the plug axis and movable between a fully recessed condition and an outwardly pivoted condition whereat to serve as gripping means for manipulating the plug, the disc including counterweight formations preferably along one straight edge thereof to enable self-return of the disc from its outwardly pivoted condition; the pivot axis of the disc being offset from the center of the plug body.

PATENED um 1 2 |97| INVENTOR.

LARS OLAV EKMAN Tlnited States Patent [72] Inventor Lars Olav lEkman Box 482, 80106 Gavle l, Sweden [2l] Appl. No. 13,031 [22] Filed lFeb. 20, 1970 [45] Patented 0ct. 12, 1971 [32] Priority lFeb. 25, 1969 [33] Sweden [31] 2579/69 [54] CLSURE lDlEVllCE ESPECIALLY FUR lTlUlEL AND WATER TANKS 6 Claims, 2 Drawing lFigs.

[52] U.S. Cl 220/39, 220/86, 220/38.5 [51] Int. Cl B65d 41/04 [50] lField o Search 220/39, 86, 38.5

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,008,603 11/1961 Scully 220/39 X i111 animas 3,426,5"85' 171969 Jensen 22o/39X FOREIGN PATENTS 697,929 9/1940 Germany 220/39 Primary Examiner-George T. Hall Attorney-Silverman and Cass ABSTRACT: A plug for engagement within the opening of fuel or water tanks particularly of the type utilized in boats and formed of a body adapted to be engaged in said tank opening, said body having a top opening groove or recess and a sector'shaped disc pivotally mounted within said groove or recess along an axis normal to the plug axis and movable between a fully recessed condition and] an outwardly pivoted condition whereat to serve as gripping means for manipulating the plug, the disc including counterweight formations preferably along one straight edge thereof to enable selfreturn of the disc from its outwardly pivoted condition; the pivot axis of the disc being offset from the center of the plug body.

lClLtUllUlllill. lllllEl/lllClE IESPIECHALM( EUR lFllJlllL .ltllillll 'WATER TANKS The present invention relates to a closure device, especially for fuel tanks, water tanks and the like in motor boats and the like.

ln motor boats the refill opening for a fuel tank or a fresh water tank usually opens from the deck level. Said opening is usually tighted by a threaded plug of suitable form which seals the opening to the penetration of rain water or sea water. ln order to avoid upwardly projecting objects from a smooth deck surface the threaded closure plug is usually lowered into the deck. therwise, such projecting objects would easily cause stumbling or other damages. Said closure plug is usually provided with a key socket. A key socket of that kind may have the form of a hexagonal recess or of' two or more bores into which a claw-shaped key can be inserted. Therefore, it is necessary to have access to a fitting key when the plug should be tightened or loosened.

The present invention relates to a device with a cover lid of the kind indicated above in which said drawback is eliminated and which also has other advantages in comparison with closure devices hitherto known.

The invention relates to a closure device for a refill opening especially for a fuel tank or a water tank in a boat or the like, comprising a threaded plug or twisting plug which is located in the refill opening and which has an upper surface that is plane and formed as or provided with a hinged grip device which in an upturned position serves as a grip for the loosening of the plug and removing it from the refill opening and for tightening the plug in said opening.

'lhe invention is mainly characterized by the fact that said grip is constituted by a sector-shaped disc which is lowered in a groove in the plug and pivoted around an axis which makes a right angle with the disc and which is located in such a manner near the point of the angle between the straight edges of said disc which constitute the radial edges of said sector shape, that in the lowered position of said disc, one of said straight edges is lying in level with the upper side of said plug and substantially fills the opening of the groove in which said disc is located, and in a raised position that edge of the disc which is opposite to said angle point, is turned upward and forms the upper edge of the grip which is formed by said disc.

ln the following the invention will be described more in detail with reference to the accompanying drawing in which lFlG. l is a top view of a closure device according to the invention.

FlG. Il is an axial section of the same device.

ln the drawing, l designates the upper end of a refill tube for a fuel tank, a water tank or the like, especially intended for a motorboat or the like. At the upper end thereof, the refill tube ll is provided with a collar 2 which is soldered or welded to the tube, said collar 2 having three countersunk bores or recesses F for fastening screws. The refill opening li is provided with a thread il at the inside of the tube in which a threaded plug d is fitted. The threaded plug 5 has a collar ti around its upper por tion which, when the plug is inserted in the tube, lies in the same plane as the upper surface of the collar 2. its shown in FlG. ll, the collar 2 of the refill opening is nearly plane but provided with a slightly conical upper edge portion so that it does not constitute any projecting object on the boat deck in which the closure device is located.

Around the threaded plug 5 and under its collar n an annular packing 'l' is located, and in operative position said packing is pressed against a flange h in the refill opening. Outside the flange fl there is a collar 9 which projects upwards outside the packing 7. Outside this cylindrical collar 9 there is an annular groove lli. This groove lltl is located under ft narrow slot tl which is provided between the collar u of the threaded plug 5 and the adjacent wall portion of the collar 2 of the refill opening l.

ln the threaded plug 5 there is also u rather broad groove l2. ln this groove l2 a grip in the form of a sector-shaped disc 113 is provided. rl`he disc can be rotated around an axis ld which is perpendicular to the disc and which is inserted from one side of the collar 2 of the refill opening as indicated in lFlG. ll. 'illle disc i3 can be rised from the position shown in full lines in lFlG. 2, in which one straight edge llS ofthe disc is lying in level with the upper surface of the threaded plug 5 to a position shown in dotted lines in FlG. 2,. in which the disc projects upwards and forms a grip by means of which the threaded plug d can be loosened and removed from and inserted into and tightened in the refill opening.

The disc i3 is relatively thin but has flanges 116 and ll'7 at its straight edges, said flanges being of substantially equal width as the groove l2.

The flange ll' has a weight which is so proportioned in relation to the weight ofthe flange liti, that the disc, from the position shown in dotted lines in FIG. 2, under the action of its own weight falls down back to the position shown in full lines in lFlG. 2, as soon as it is released by the hand. This is a great advantage because otherwise the disc may be left in the upright position and in that case it would constitute such a projecting object which could give rise to damages of the kind indicated in the foregoing.

rl`he disc lli can easily be brought to the position shown in dotted lines in FlG. 2, from the position shown in full lines in FlG. 2, by giving a light pressure by a finger to its portion 118, and thereafter lifting the disc.

lFrom the cylindrical groove lll) which collects water which flows down through the narrow groove llll when the plug is inserted, flow channels t9 lead out to the countersunk bores 3 for the fastening screws. lBy this arrangement it is avoided that water remains in the groove lll and runs down into the fuel tank or the fresh water tank as soon as the threaded plug is loosened.

A closure device according to the invention is very convenient to handle. Tlllere is no need to take care of a special key for opening of a threaded plug. The device according to the invention is always ready for use.

What l claim is:

ll. A closure device for a refill opening especially for a fuel tank or a water tank in a boat or the like, comprising a threaded plug or twisting plug which is located in the refill opening and which has an upper surface that is substantially plane and formed as or provided with a hinged grip device (lil) which in an upturned position serves as a grip for the loosening ofthe plug (5) and removing it from the refill opening and for tightening the plug in said opening, characterized by the fact that said grip is constituted by a sector-shaped disc (i) which is lowered in a groove (l2) in the plug (5) and pivoted around an axis (ld) which makes a right angle with the disc and which is located in such a manner near the point ofthe angle between the straight edges of said disc (113) which constitutes the radial edges of said sector shape, that in the lowered position of said disc one of said straight edges is lying in level with the upper side of said plug (5) and substantially fills the opening of the groove (l2) in which said disc is located, and in a rised position that edge of the disc (i3) which is opposite to said angle point, is turned upwards and forms the upper edge ofthe grip which is formed by said disc.

2. A closure device according to claim ll characterized by the fact that the pivot point for the axis l( ld) is displaced some distance from the angle point along the straight edge of the grip (i3) which in the lowered position constitutes its upper surface, so that there will be a portion (ld) accessible for applying a finger pressure thereon between the axis (ld) and said angle point, and by actuating of which the other portion of said straight edge rises from the groove (lll) so that the grip (113) easily can be lifted up to operative position.

3. A closure device according to claim 2 characterized by the fact that the groove (l2) in the threaded plug (5) has such a width that said pressing down can easily be carried out and that the disc (ld) is provided with a flange (lb) at least along that edge thereof which, when the disc is lowered, is lying in level with the upper surface of the plug (5) and that the flange (liti) has such a width that it substantially fills the groove (l2).

.the axis (14) around which the disc is pivoted that the disc from the rised position falls down to its lowered position under the action of its own weight.

6. A closure device according to claim 3 characterized by the fact that the disc (13) can be rised to cooperation with a stop device and its weight center is so positioned in relation to the axis (14) around which the disc is pivoted that the disc from the rised position falls down to its lowered position under the action of its own weight. 

1. A closure device for a refill opening especially for a fuel tank or a water tank in a boat or the like, comprising a threaded plug or twisting plug which is located in the refill opening and which has an upper surface that is substantially plane and formed as or provided with a hinged grip device (13) which in an upturned position serves as a grip for the loosening of the plug (5) and removing it from the refill opening and for tightening the plug in said opening, characterized by the fact that said grip is constituted by a sector-shaped disc (13) which is lowered in a groove (12) in the plug (5) and pivoted around an axis (14) which makes a right angle with the disc and which is located in such a manner near the point of the angle between the straight edges of said disc (13) which constitutes the radial edges of said sector shape, that in the lowered position of said disc one of said straight edges is lying in level with the upper side of said plug (5) and substantially fills the opening of the groove (12) in which said disc is located, and in a rised position that edge of the disc (13) which is opposite to said angle point, is turned upwards and forms the upper edge of the grip which is formed by said disc.
 2. A closure device according to claim 1 characterized by the fact that the pivot point for the axis (14) is displaced some distance from the angle point along the straight edge of the grip (13) which in the lowered position constitutes its upper surface, so that there will be a portion (18) accessible for applying a finger pressure thereon between the axis (14) and said angle point, and by actuating of which the other portion of said straight edge rises from the groove (11) so that the grip (13) easily can be lifted up to operative position.
 3. A closure device according to claim 2 characterized by the fact that the groove (12) in the threaded plug (5) has such a width that said pressing down can easily be carried out and that the disc (13) is provided with a flange (16) at least along that edge thereof which, when the disc is lowered, is lying in level with the upper surface of the plug (5) and that the flange (16) has such a width that it substantially fills the groove (12).
 4. A closure device according to claim 1 characterized by the fact that the disc (13) can be rised to cooperation with a stop device and its weight center is so positioned in relation to the axis (14) around which the disc is pivoted that the disc from the rised position falls down to its lowered position under the action of its own weight.
 5. A closure device according to claim 2 characterized by the fact that the disc (13) can be rised to cooperation with a stop device and its weight center is so positioned in relation to the axis (14) around which the disc is pivoted that the disc from the rised position falls down to its lowered position under the action of its own weight.
 6. A closure device according to claim 3 characterized by the fact that the disc (13) can be rised to cooperation with a stop device and its weight center is so positioned in relation to the axis (14) around which the disc is pivoted that the disc from the rised position falls down to its lowered position under the action of its own weight. 